Divine hand': US anti-abortionists say your body belongs to Christ'

26/06/2022

Divine hand': US anti-abortionists say your body belongs to Christ'US anti-abortionists and the religious right which has long waited for abortion right overturn, said they see divine hand' in court ruling

by Agence France-Presse

26-06-2022 17:01

in Christian Connect

Diana Villanueva, 53, who is against abortion, discusses her work running Rachel's Vineyard, a retreat inspired by Christian biblical scripture which offers support to women who, like her, regret their abortion, in El Paso, Texas, on 16 June, 2022. When she was 16, Diana Villanueva became pregnant after being raped, and then the man forced her to have an abortion. When she remembers the day that haunted her for decades, this devout Catholic remembers how difficult it was to act against her will. Photo: Robyn Beck / AFP

Diana Villanueva's rapist took her to an abortion clinic when she was just 16 years old and told her to terminate her pregnancy.

--

She wasn't greeted by the crowds of protestors who often gather outside facilities in the United States to try to persuade women to change their minds.

But now, this 53-year-old Catholic wishes she had been because she has been haunted by the termination ever since.

I was afraid that someone would see me because my mom was very involved in the church and I was afraid that somebody from church was going to be there,

she told AFP. But then at the same time, I wish somebody would have been there, because maybe that would have given me the courage to speak out and say: I don't want to do this'.

Villanueva now runs a retreat in her native El Paso, Texas, helping women who, like her, regret their abortion.

--

ALSO READ: G7 opens summit, starts with gold export ban on Russia

US ANTI-ABORTIONISTS Devised by psychologist Theresa Burke and present in dozens of countries, Rachel's Vineyard draws on biblical scripture and is described as a way to promote healing the pain of abortion.

The fact of the matter is that abortion affects you,

she said. It makes you angry. At first you just want to get rid of the problem, so you don't think beyond the problem. You want a solution.

But after you go through what you go through then you ponder what you did. That's when the remorse starts kicking in.

Villanueva discovered Rachel's Vineyard through her church, and her anti-abortion position like that of many Americans who disagree with the practice is heavily colored by her religion.

--

A lot of those ladies say: It's my body, my choice'. It's not your body; your body belongs to Christ.

The religious right has long aimed to have the landmark 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling enshrining the right to abortion in the United States overturned.

On Friday, their prayers were answered when a 6-3 majority on the Supreme Court threw out almost 50 years of settled law, allowing individual states to make their own rules including banning abortion in all circumstances.

ALSO READ: Abortion pills to become next battleground in US reproductive fight

Women's rights' Texas has been among those states leading the charge to restrict access to abortions.

A law that came into effect last year bans the procedure when fetal heart activity can be detected usually around six weeks, a time few women are even aware they are pregnant.

El Paso no longer has any clinics offering abortions, but it stands on the front lines of an expanding fight.

Just across the border in New Mexico is the small town of Santa Teresa, the destination for women from all over Texas who want to have a safe, legal abortion in a state that has far more liberal rules.

Even so, elements of the Texas law mean that anyone who helps a woman to get an abortion even the Uber driver who takes her part of the way to the clinic can be held liable.

Mark Cavaliere, director of the Southwest Coalition for Life, which designs anti-abortion programs and campaigns, defends such tools.

Those who perform the procedures are the ones who commit acts of violence against women and children, he says.

According to figures from the Guttmacher Institute, a research group that compiles statistics and advocates for abortion rights, 75 percent of women who had an abortion in the United States in 2014 were living below the poverty line or classed as low income.

Cavaliere, a father of five, believes that the Supreme Court's codification of abortion in 1973 undermined women.

Roe vs. Wade put an expectation on women to feel like they have to alter, suppress and destroy the normal healthy functions of their natural body in order to meet definitions of success that are really based on male norms, he said.

We're very hopeful that by overturning [the law], we can actually solve the true issues, really solve women's equality, women's rights.

Southwest Coalition for Life hosts programs such as Her Care Connection that, among other initiatives, offers free ultrasounds in a modern mobile clinic.

The vehicle sometimes parks outside the Women's Reproductive Health Clinic in Santa Teresa in an attempt to convince women seeking an abortion to continue with their pregnancy.

Dozens of people gathered for a fundraiser for the van in El Paso last weekend.

The baby race in which two tots crawled to see who could cross the line first was the highlight for many in attendance.

Jazzmin Hernandez, a 32-year-old teacher who has no children herself, smiled as she watched one baby overtake the other on the final straight.

For her unlike for the majority of Americans, according to polling there are no grey areas.

It doesn't matter how the baby was conceived. Nothing justifies ending a child's life, she said.

I think Texas is setting an example, and hopefully other states will follow suit and abortion will be completely banned.

LINK:	https://www.thesouthafrican.com/culture/christian-connect/us-anti-abor...
	See more stories from thesouthafrican

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

02/05/2026

Dalet Flex LTS Delivers Smarter Search, Faster Editing, and an AI-Ready Foundation for Modern Media

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

01/05/2026

NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to Integrate Dolby's Full Suite of Premium Picture and Sound Innovations

January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...

01/04/2026

DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION

January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...

18/03/2026

Net Insight Names Larissa GrnerMeeus CPO

Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4. Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...

18/03/2026

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026: Select Sessions Now Available to Watch on SVG PLAY

SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...

18/03/2026

SVG's SportsTech@NABShow Blog Goes Live as Countdown to Vegas Heats Up

The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...

18/03/2026

The Premiere of Dead Lover Showcases Grave Robbing and Sex With a Giant Finger

(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...

18/03/2026

Music Row Piano from Wiltone Productions

Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...

18/03/2026

Techivation introduce T-Warmer Mk2

Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...

18/03/2026

Tonal Balance Control 3 from iZotope

Mix-reference plug-in overhauled iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...

18/03/2026

Toontrack Transistor Organ EKX

Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...

18/03/2026

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture

Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture 18 March, 2026 Media releases New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...

18/03/2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz at NAB 2026

Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...

18/03/2026

LCTWS 2026

London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...

18/03/2026

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations

SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...

18/03/2026

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K

Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K Brie Clayton March 18, 2026 0 Comments LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...

18/03/2026